TBDBITL Members Visit Newark Campus

NEWARK, Ohio, May 10, 2017 – Students taking finals on the campus of The Ohio State University at Newark spring semester had a great excuse to take a study break. Seven members of The Best Damn Band in the Land (TBDTIBL), who started their Ohio State career on the Newark campus, visited campus for a marketing and public relations department photo shoot. Many students came to the center of campus to watch and had their photo taken with Assistant Drum Major Konner Barr.

“When I started in The Ohio State Marching Band (OSUMB), I was a student on the Newark campus and traveled to Columbus for practice. Many don’t realize that you can spend one or two years in Newark and then transition to Columbus.” said Barr, a communications major from Gahanna. “You are a Buckeye in Newark.”

Barr served as assistant drum major during the 2016 season and will be returning in the same role in the fall. During the 2016 season, Barr was one of 17 members of the OSUMB who started their Ohio State careers on the Newark campus.

“I’m so proud that I can go to Newark and be in the band,” said Devin Sheller, a music education major from Pataskala. “I knew I wanted to be part of the marching band at Ohio State, and I can do that in Newark.

“I applied to Ohio State, and they gave me the opportunity to attend the Newark campus. I said ‘Absolutely,’” said Noah Oliver, a history and Spanish major from Columbus.

“I transferred to the Newark campus from another university, and it was a really smooth process,” said Cody Harris, a mechanical engineering major from Zanesville. “My time in Newark was one of my favorite times at Ohio State.”

The photos taken of the band members on the Newark campus will be used in upcoming campus advertising and promotions.

“The Newark campus connection to The Ohio State Marching Band is a wonderful example of how students on the Newark campus are Buckeyes from day one,” said Ohio State Newark Dean/Director William L. MacDonald. “Students in Newark can and do take advantage of all of the opportunities the university has to offer in Newark, Columbus and beyond - including marching at The Shoe on Saturdays.”

The Ohio State University at Newark offers an academic environment that’s challenging but supportive with world-renowned professors and access to Ohio State’s more than 200 majors. It’s where learning comes to life. Research, study abroad and service learning opportunities prepare students for their careers in ways they never expected.